Looking out for Her
by dreaming of ravens at night
Summary: Drabble collection. Ch. 1 summary: Elizabeth and Reddington caught a blacklister, but at a cost. Red slipped up. Lizzie overheard him talking before the target was apprehended, but now he has to face the consequences. She wants answers. Is he willing to jeopardize their tenuous relationship by giving her the truth? "I was there most of your life..." "...Daddy?" Red/Lizzie
1. I Will be that Someone

A/N

Hey! For those of you that actually read author's notes I just want to say thank you for helping this community grow. I've watched this go from less than thirty stories to over sixty in just a few short weeks.

I started writing this story **before** "Gina Zanatakos," so if there are any issues with the father/daughter pairing it's because I wrote this when it was a plausible outcome. No, I'm not solely for this kind of pairing for the two characters, but I'm not against the idea.

There might be some OOC because Red was still a developing character when this was being written (he still is with all the masks he wears).

* * *

Sometimes Elizabeth was too smart for her own good. Or at least the good of her sanity. _I taught you well, Lizzie_, Raymond Reddington mused as he observed her shocked face staring right back. _Perhaps too well_ he thought, smiling at his words.

He was proud of her there was no doubt. Always proud of her. Never condescension or mistrust toward her in his heart. He enjoyed seeing the individual she had grown into since becoming part of this whole operation. It warmed him watching her fight to stay strong as she slowly picked up the pieces of her life after Tom…those were thoughts for another day, he told himself. She was brave in those moments, a different brave than her normal. And he was proud of her for that. She cared about others. And he was always happily amazed ever time it showed.

But she was so damn curious. And perceptive. And stubborn. Sometimes he wondered if he should regret bringing those out in her. Sometimes.

"What did you say?" she demanded again, the strength lost in the whisper.

He inwardly winced. His contempt for the man they hunted and caught had blinded him momentarily causing him to forget Elizabeth's presence during another of his parables. The Concierge of Crime calmly stared at her, weighing his options. Play another one of his mind games with her or own up completely to his slip up.

She waited.

He contemplated.

"You remember that day, Lizzie," he coaxed. "The day your father brought you to the zoo. You were frightened of the tiger exhibit after it lunged for you. He sat you down at a table and went to get you an ice cream to cheer you up. A man came up to you then with a bright green balloon, your favorite color at the time."

"He said tigers were like peanuts." He nodded. "Have you been watching me-" she began with growing rage.

"I was there Lizzie," he admitted. "I was there when you burned your hand on the stove the first day your father left you alone. I was there when you got lost after getting out of your house at two. I was there when you first opened you eyes." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I was there most of your life. Sometimes you knew, mostly you didn't." he shrugged at the last statement, trying to downplay his words.

"You were there when…Daddy?" she whispered. Lizzie, strong, independent Elizabeth, was afraid. She was afraid he could see her fear. Afraid her biggest, closest-held secret was a lie standing before her.

He gave a half-smile so quick it seemed like a facial twitch. He said two words with such tenderness Lizzie could have curled up in its warmth. "Hello Sweetheart."

Tears quickly formed in her eyes. He saw her lose the battle as they trailed down her cheeks at the same moment he strode to her side with calculated step, surrounding her with his protection. She cried on his shoulder, slowly soaking his once pristine shirt and waistcoat. His hat and her hair did well to provide cover for the woman in his arms. Reddington stood there numb by the overwhelming emotions coursing through him yet completely focused on the feeling of holding his daughter.

Keeping his right arm around her tightly, he used his free one to signal Dembe to get the car. His left hand returned her back, rubbing soothing circles as they waited for Dembe. Ressler came looking for Agent Keen at one point only to have daggers shot at him by a certain criminal when he openly gawked. The special agent glared back but retreated nonetheless. Agent Malik also saw them in passing. She seemed merely curious, silently demanding answers from him at a later date, so he felt no need to chase her off in the same manner as Ressler. Dembe pulled up in the limousine just as Agent Malik turned her attention to an officer, no doubt barking orders to an incompetent probie.

Reddington guided Lizzie to the car, bidding her to go in first. He slid in right behind her, forcing himself to look at his friend just to focus as he instructed the man to head to the Sycan; they were moving locations a day of schedule. He couldn't bring himself to have his usual one-sided chitchat when his girl was feeling so lost. That's what he saw in those depths when he finally did look at her. His little girl so confused, so lost. And it tore at him.

She had settled down somewhat by this point. He didn't see her silently wanting physical comfort, so he opted to give her a warm smile. She returned his with a small one of her own.

_Yep_, he thought, _I'm knee deep in it now_. He could understand someone willing to burn the world down for one person. _Because I'm willing to be that someone._

* * *

A/N

Thank you for reading. I might use this for a place to store all my Blacklist one-shots/ficlets. Please let me know either by PM or review if you think this would be a good idea or not and if you have any ideas I could expand on.

Also, if someone wants to adopt or beta any of the stories in here, contact me, and I will be happy to respond.


	2. He said

Summary: One-shot. A continuation from where episode 8:General Ludd, left off. Warning: Spoilers!

* * *

"The best way to keep the memory of your father alive is to talk about him," he said. He. The Concierge Crime. The criminal.

She had tried to stay strong. There was pain at the funeral, but others were there to ground her. There was missing evidence during Ludd's arrest, so she had something to focus on. She sought out Red, and that gave her an excuse to keep moving. She stayed strong.

Or so she thought until seeing Red, off guard, with his emotions heavy and open to the world. He was supposed to be strong, indifferent, steady. To see grief on his face echo the grief in her heart was her breaking point. But still she fought.

She went through the motion of accusing Reddington of thievery, but they both knew her heart wasn't in it. The officer in her kept fighting, making criminal activity her number one priority. But that part was losing. In its wake was an emptiness where warmth once resided.

He said to talk about him. Sam. Her best friend. Her father.

And in that moment, Lizzie couldn't do it anymore. She realized the one constant in her present life was where she was all along. Hurting. And it was too much. She wanted to trust him in this moment, needed to. But she was scared.

"Tell me some stories," he said. He . Raymond "Red" Reddington. A man with sorrow in his eyes and pain in his heart.

He sounded as hopeful as she felt with his small smile. Hopeful her best friend wasn't dead. Hopeful all the memories they shared didn't feel as if they were following him to the grave. Hopeful that by talking about him she could keep the emptiness at bay. _Tell me some stories he said_. The words resounding in her mind.

So she did. There were no tears or frustrated shouts. Only an even, timid voice. She shared funny memories. She shared nostalgic memories. She shared silly, inconsequential memories, and in doing so, she realized how even those moments felt precious. She shared her feelings, thoughts, everything to the man beside her.

He didn't speak. He didn't move. But that was okay because he was there. Attentive to every word she said, every move she made, and every crack that was in her heart. Sometimes she forgot he was there. But that was okay.

Her voice tired from talking, but she went on. She had to tell. She knew, _knew_ if she didn't her father's tale would vanish without anyone knowing. Then he really would be gone. Only when Reddington moved for the first time since they sat on the swing set to hold her hand did she pause.

He gave it a lingering squeeze. _It's okay to stop. He will not disappear. You will be fine_. And she only then did she notice how numb she felt after hurting for so long. She didn't return the gesture, but she didn't need to.

He was there. In that one simple act, she found a long awaited answer.

She _could_ trust him.

* * *

A/N

Hey everyone. Just sharing my thoughts this time. If you don't care, just read the last paragraph (if you read A/N's at all).

I wanted to curl up and cry during all of Red's interactions. This was such a good episode. The ending song captured the feeling of loss, hope, and loneliness the last few scenes held from Red looking in the ViCAP database onward. This was an episode that shows the world the complexities a person has on the inside.

Thank you demonbookworm101, MysticReader99, Pengu2510, and MakorraLove97 for being the first to give wonderful reviews.

I didn't like how this one came out. Any thoughts, suggestions, or beta offers, tell me. Also, I consider NBC or any other legitimate company posting pictures on the internet free reign. If you have issues with the pictures I have posted or will post, please message me before going straight to "the guys upstairs." I will hear you out and take it down upon reading your message. Thank you.


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